The six-song project will drop later this month
From chart-topping songwriter to multi-platinum-selling Grammy nominated solo artist and businesswoman, Julia Michaels has officially entered her most empowered and creatively liberated chapter yet, sitting firmly in the driver’s seat as she prepares to release her forthcoming EP Second Self, out May 23rd via her own label, GFY Records.
Comprised of six sharp and smart tracks, “Heaven II,” “Scissors,” “Try Your Luck,” “F.O.O.L.,” “GFY,” and “Time”, Second Self is a declaration of artistic ownership, showcasing Michaels’ signature puns, biting lyricism, and deep relatability. It represents not only evolution as a performer and lyricist but also her fearless step into full independence, now as founder of GFY Records. For the first time in her career, she’s writing, releasing, and calling the shots, without compromise.
“I’ve spent so much of my life helping other people tell their stories” says Michaels. “This time, it’s just me. These songs are mine. This project is mine. And that’s the most liberating feeling I’ve ever had.”
Second Self is bold, unapologetic, and emotionally raw, a testament to Michaels’ journey toward self definition. It’s a project that embraces imperfection, celebrates growth, and explores the complexities of womanhood, heartbreak, defiance, and healing with unflinching honesty.
For over a decade, Michaels has been one of the most influential and prolific forces in modern pop music. She’s written or co-written hits for an astonishing roster of artists, including Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, P!NK, Britney Spears, Niall Horan, Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monáe, Keith Urban, The Chicks, and Hailee Steinfeld, helping shape the sound of a generation. Her fingerprints are on 25 Billboard Hot 100 charting tracks, 14 of which have reached the Top 40, including two No. 1s: Bieber’s “Sorry” and Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me.”
But in 2017, Michaels stepped into the spotlight with her five-time platinum breakout single “Issues,” which earned her two Grammy nominations: Best New Artist and Song of the Year. Since then, she’s released a string of acclaimed solo projects, Nervous System, Inner Monologue Part 1 & 2, and her 2021 full length debut Not In Chronological Order, all of which showcased her signature ability to render the messiness of modern love and identity with brutal clarity, poetic nuance, and emotional punch.
Throughout her solo career, Michaels has toured globally with Maroon 5, P!NK, Niall Horan, and Shawn Mendes, and has headlined her own Inner Monologue Tour across the U.S. In 2023, her profile rose further with the release of “Sorry To Me Too” and her groundbreaking contribution to Disney’s animated feature Wish, for which she became the youngest lyricist in history to pen all the lyrics. “Issues” surpassed one billion Spotify streams, cementing her place among the elite tier of modern pop auteurs.
